National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) and ExxonMobil Foundation Advance Opportunities for More

National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) and
ExxonMobil Foundation Advance Opportunities for More Students to Pursue
Engineering
PR Newswire
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 9, 2013
April 10^th event featuring key government officials will discuss critical
need to increase representation of minorities in engineering
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National
Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME), a premier
non-profit organization focused on increasing the number of underrepresented
minority students pursuing careers in engineering, announced today that
ExxonMobil Foundation is providing an additional $1 million to support
pre-engineering educational activities.
The grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation will support Academies of Engineering
– a National Academy of Engineering network of career academies– in selected
regions where NACME Partner Universities are located across the United
States. These schools are small learning communities focused on engineering
education and college readiness. The grant also supports scholarships for
Academy of Engineering (AOE) graduating seniors to pursue an engineering
degree at an accredited four-year institution.
"NACME is working to activate the hidden workforce of young men and women who
have traditionally been underrepresented in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) careers," said Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, President
and CEO of NACME, Inc. "ExxonMobil's commitment to NACME has been instrumental
in expanding our reach and impact, and we are grateful to consider them a key
partner in advancing toward a common goal: ensuring America's future
competitiveness and leadership in STEM fields."
ExxonMobil is a leading corporate partner, having provided the organization
with critical programmatic and scholarship funding since its founding in 1974.
NACME and ExxonMobil will celebrate this longstanding, fruitful partnership
and recognize the renewed grant at a reception and dinner to be held on April
10 in Washington, D.C. The event will review both partners' current efforts
to increase minority representation in STEM education fields, and the
importance of corporate partnerships in addressing this pressing issue.
"At ExxonMobil, we believe that all students deserve the chance to excel in
math and science and to be inspired to pursue careers in engineering fields,"
said Suzanne McCarron, president, ExxonMobil Foundation. "It is critical that
we work together to find meaningful solutions to the underrepresentation of
minorities and women in engineering, and this partnership with NACME will help
deliver quality programs in this area."
Scheduled speakers at Wednesday's event include NACME President and CEO, Dr.
Irving Pressley McPhail, ExxonMobil Vice President of Research and
Engineering, Kenny Warren, U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson and Dr.
Reginald Brothers, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research.
About NACME
Since 1974, NACME has provided leadership and support for the national effort
to increase the number of successful African American, American Indian and
Latino women and men in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) education and careers. With funding from corporate, foundation, and
individual donors, NACME has supported over 24,000 students with more than
$124 million in scholarships and other support. Currently, NACME provides
scholarship support for approximately 1,300 underrepresented minority
engineering students through a national network of 50 NACME Partner
Universities. For more information go to: www.nacme.org
About the ExxonMobil Foundation
The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil
Corporation in the United States. The foundation and the corporation engage in
a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science
in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. In the United
States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education
at the K-12 and higher education levels. In 2012, together with its employees
and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), its divisions and
affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $256 million in
contributions worldwide, of which $116 million was dedicated to education.
www.exxonmobil.com/community.
SOURCE The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME)